31John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 26 February 1803 (Adams Papers)
I duely rec d yours of the 16 th with the Paper enclosed. I had given no Attention to the Attack upon you in Cheethams Paper, because I know that no Integrity of heart, no Purity of Conduct, or Innocence of Life can protect any Man from the Shafts of Calumny, in these times of party rage and under an elective Government, which breeds Passions and prejudices as fast as ever the sun upon the...
32From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 21 November 1815 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your for two Letters from the Valley; one dated October 4th. the other November the first, 1815. The Documents to which you refer are of so much Importance to your Reputation and to mine, that I wish you would depose it, the Sketch you have made of them, somewhere in print. It is at my Age impossible for me to look up the Scattered Volumes in which they are to be found and my...
33John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 19 December 1798 (Adams Papers)
Before you receive this you will probably receive a letter from the Secy at war informing you that the general officers have proposed either you or Mr Hammond to be a Lt Col commandant. This event has embarassed me. I know not what to do. I know not whether the senate will not negative the nomination if I make it; nor whether you will accept the appointment if they should advise and consent to...
34John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 18 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
I Received yesterday your kind Letter of the 13 th and Return you and yours the Compliments of the Season and Thanks of your Congratulations on the Probability of a Cartain Election the felicities or infelicities of what Events however are Hidden from our Vew by that impenetrable Veil which Covers Futurity the Prospect at Present is not very bright a Country Impotent at Sea tho Powerful at...
35John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 11 November 1788 (Adams Papers)
I was much obliged to you for a letter by Mr. Nesbit of Philadelphia, and am very sorry I could not have more of his company. He was much esteemed, I find, in Boston. I wished for you, when he was here, because you could never have a better opportunity of seeing your old military friends. We had a review of the militia, upon my farm; and a battle that threw down all my fences. I wish, however,...
36From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 22 February 1815 (Adams Papers)
I rejoice in your Recovery from Sickness and wish a perfect restoration of your health—I think I may Congratulate you on the Glorious termination of the War. The Rejoicings here are enthusiastic, If Such Rejoicings here are at my Peace with France in 1800, had been Exhibited, would the Condition of our Country at this hour however have been better? Tallard when he had been beaten and taken...
37From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 4 April 1815 (Adams Papers)
Washington used to say Sometimes “They work me hard” Sam. Allen Otis said a day or two before his Death “They work me two hard” And I who have not the Honor to be “ Father of my Country” nor Secretary of the Senate, might now say in my Octoginary year, that John Taylor and a dozen others, some of them greater and some of them less Men, now work me confoundedly hard: but I will not say it. I...
38John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 16 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have received the Letter you wrote me on the 7th of this month, and I shall give all the attention to the Subject of it which may be necessary. It is not new to me— You are too precipitate in my opinion in pronouncing an opinion that the General has been guilty of high Crimes &C a: There have not been wanting Critics upon your conduct, as severe as you have been upon his It is reported not...
39John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 14 March 1791 (Adams Papers)
I shall not entertain you with public affairs, because you will learn the state of them from the public papers more in detail. I shall only say, that the National Government has succeeded beyond the expectations, even of the sanguine, and is more popular, and has given more general satisfaction than I expected ever to live to see. The addition of Vermont and Kentucky, the augmentation of our...
40John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 22 May 1799 (Adams Papers)
I have received your letter of the 16 th & the bundle of papers inclosed with a great deal of pain. The thing has not a good appearance. Mr. Shieflin had better have addressed his letter & papers to me than to you who are not the Secretary of War. You are suspected & have been accused of improper speculations in the neighborhood of Detroit & in connection with characters whose friendship does...
41From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 6 September 1812 (Adams Papers)
My heart is one day as light as air and the next as heavy as lead. The Name of Hull, at one hour exalts my Imagination like a balloon to the Clouds: And a few Hours Afterwards the Same monosyllable depresses it to the Subterranean Caverns where Earthquakes are generated. How it has happened, that your Letter to your Mother of last December has never been acknowledged I know not. She read it to...
42John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 17 January 1795 (Adams Papers)
I received yesterday your kind letter of the 9th of the month. The letters to Vergennes were sent to him, not presented. He acknowledged the receipt of them; and Congress acknowledged the receipt of the copies of them, and several others written before those two, upon the same subject, in a vote they passed about Sir John Temple. They say, that although Mr. Adams had thought fit to write a...
43From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 5 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
In answer to your Letter of yesterday, you will give me leave to say, that your assistance and advice, has been at all times so usefull and agreable to me, that I should loose the advantage of it with reluctance if it were only for a few Weeks, or even day’s— nevertheless the month of august is so dull and so disgusting & unwholesome in London the Place is so deserted by Men of Business as...
44John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 19 June 1791 (Adams Papers)
Give me leave to congratulate you and my daughter, as well as your venerable Mother, and her and your amiable families on your arrival in America. The situation of that respectable office to which you have been promoted, and the unhappy sickness of the good Lady your Mother, made us all uncommonly anxious for your arrival, I hope you found your own family in health and your mother recovering....
Congress by their Resolution of February the 3 d. 1787, determined, that the Letter to the Queen of Portugal herewith delivered you, should be transmitted to Her faithfull Majesty by your hands— You will therefore prepare yourself, as soon as conveniently may be, and proceed to Lisbon.— In your way, as you pass through France & Spain, you will of Course pay your respects to the Ministers of...
46From John Adams to William Stephens Smith, 14 December 1813 (Adams Papers)
It gave me great pleasure to be informed of your punctual arrival at the head quarters of good Principles and of good dispositions as I hope; of too little experience as I fear; and of too much eloquence as I certainly know. I need not quote to you “Dum Roma deliberat periat Seguntum.” My memory furnishes enough of examples of more modern date and nearer home. Canada was lost 35 or 36 years...
47John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 4 April 1803 (Adams Papers)
The House of Bird, Savage and Bird, in London, had, when they failed, property, to the amount of nearly £4000 sterling, belonging to my father in their hands; for which I had drawn bills in October and November last— These bills are now returning protested for me to take up, with all the costs and charges upon them— I now write you, not with an expectation that you will find any property of...
48John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 18 January 1802 (Adams Papers)
Two months having elapsed since I made the proposal respecting the note of hand due from your brother Justus to me, and being still without an answer from him, I presume either that the proposal was not agreeable to him, or that some accident has delayed or misdirected his answer, and prevented its coming to hand. I have now settled once more in this town, and resumed the practice of the law—...
49From John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 26 March 1806 (Adams Papers)
I received last Evening your favour of the 23d:—The appointment of Mr. Schenck had been two or three days before confirmed by the Senate—I most sincerely lament your removal from the Office of Surveyor; but this act is exclusively within the power of the President, and the only notice he usually gives to the Senate of a removal is by a new Nomination to the Office—Such was the case in the...
50From John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 16 April 1806 (Adams Papers)
I have within these few days successively received your two letters, one of them containing the relation of the circumstances respecting General Miranda’s projects, and your relations with him while he was in this Country; and the other containing the request that I would write an Oration for your Son John—On the first of these subjects, I trust that in the trial of the Cause, on the Bill...
51John Quincy Adams to William Stephens Smith, 2 January 1804 (Adams Papers)
I find by the newspapers that a Commission of bankruptcy has issued against Robert Bird, and as it is impossible for me to attend personally before the Commissioners to make proof of my debt, and demand my claim, I take the liberty of inclosing them to you, with an earnest request that you would present them for me, at the next meeting of the Commissioners which I think is to be on the 10 th:...
52Enclosure: [Account of the Incident at Elizabethtown], [27 March 1800] (Hamilton Papers)
Some publications having appeared in the news papers in respect to a disturbance at Elizabeth Town implicating Capt Courtlandt & Lt. Livingston of the twelveth Regiment—it is proper that the public should know that early and particular inquiry was made into the affair by order of Major General Hamilton, & that, according to information received from very respectable authority in the Civil...
53From Alexander Hamilton to William S. Smith, 15 August 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I have just received your letter of yesterday, and have given orders to Capn. Read to furnish from the garrison the guard and the orderly sergeant which you request to attend the President of the Court Martial. I presume the different members of the Court have, before this time, arrived. With great consideration I am, Sir &c: &c: ( Df , in the handwriting of Thomas Y. How, Hamilton Papers,...
54From Alexander Hamilton to William S. Smith, 9 August 1799 (Hamilton Papers)
I have received your letter respecting Lt. Hoffman . The incident gives me great concern. It is a delicate affair and must be treated with very great circumspection. Inclosed is a letter which has been written to me by his accuser Lt. Livingston . Several respectable Characters (among these Doctor Charleton) have spoken to me of the Character of the accused in high terms—They represent him as...
55From Alexander Hamilton to William S. Smith, 29 April 1800 (Hamilton Papers)
I have received your letter of the fourteenth instant with it’s enclosure—It appears from the statement given that the application of Mr. Jones is a very improper one—Matters will therefore continue as they are. ( Df , in the handwriting of Thomas Y. How, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress).
56From Alexander Hamilton to William S. Smith, 25 February 1800 (Hamilton Papers)
I have received Your two letters of the twentieth instant have been received. Neither remarks on the price of the wood contracted for I had not the smallest intention of finding fault with the part you had acted in the business—On the contrary I am well convinced that, as far as your agency was concerned that there was due care exercised—I am still however of opinion that the price is too high...
57From Alexander Hamilton to Nathan Rice and William S. Smith, [23 April 1800] (Hamilton Papers)
It appears by a Report of the Dy P M G that no return has come from the 12 Regiment of the Cloathing on hand as required by the general order of the 11th of March. Considering the time which has elapsed since the issuing of that order if there are any articles of Cloathing in the possession of the Pay Master of that Regiment he has been guilty of very great neglect for which he ought to be...
58From Alexander Hamilton to William S. Smith, 20 March 1800 (Hamilton Papers)
I have understood that the relative rank of the Officers of your regiment has not yet been communicated to them; as you may probably withold it from an idea of its not having yet received my final approbation, you will view the arrangement upon which we formerly agreed as decisive, with the single alteration, of Captain G. Kirkland’s being placed next in rank to Captain A. White with true...
59From Alexander Hamilton to William S. Smith, 3 May 1800 (Hamilton Papers)
You will discharge the soldier to Enclosed are some papers relative to the age of a soldier in the eleventh regiment—You will enquire into the case, and if the statement proves correct, discharge the person to whom they it relates. ( Df , in the handwriting of Thomas Y. How, Hamilton Papers, Library of Congress).
60From Alexander Hamilton to William S. Smith, 27 March 1800 (Hamilton Papers)
Your letter of the 17th. instant, with its enclosures has been received. I am, for my own part prefectly satisfied with the representation given by the Major, of the conduct of your officers in the affair at Elisabeth town—but as an account of it has made its appearance in the public papers, which has represented the matter to their disadvantage, I think you are interested for the honor of...